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Tuesday, 2 October 2012

R U Speaking Up?

Have you only just started at the University? Are you a Returning Student who wasn’t a Course Rep last year? Were you a Course Rep last year?

One thing every student has in common is the ability to represent their fellow students on their course!

Anyone can nominate themselves to be a Course Rep, whether you have been at the University for a matter of days, or you want to stand for re-election because you enjoyed being a Course Rep so much last year.

Course Reps are academic representatives who speak on behalf of their course year group. By keeping the lines of communication open, Course Reps are the first port of call for students. They canvas for suggestions as to how their course can be improved, any problems the students are having, things that are working really well and feedback on their experience generally.

The main requirement for a Course Reps is for them to be representative of their peers! This then feeds into their presence at the School or Department’s Student Staff Liaison Committees, the Course Rep Conventions and Student’s Union democracy meetings. Course Reps are expected to attend each of these meetings once a term, which is not a big ask for a 10 week term.

The benefits of being a Course Rep are huge and extend far beyond a gleaming CV! Many Reps have brought about large changes to their course and shaped the educational experience for future students. The role gives a voice to those who need speaking up for and can influence decisions that directly affect the course for which you are paying.